I was told I needed more pictures of myself. Apparently, I duck and hide from the camera at events so any pictures with me in them are of my feet as I’m running away. Thus, my website designer told me to stage a mini photo shoot where, unfortunately for me, I was the main subject. Since I am in the process of starting my event rental company, I decided to use some of my vintage items in hopes to distract the viewer from my awkward smile. I convinced my friend Andrew to come over and take pictures (and move all my props down 2 flights of stairs and across the lawn). Hopefully, now that I have these pictures, I can go back to hiding from the camera.

My friend asked me “why flowers?” We were talking about my business and she was encouraging me to dig deep and question what I would bring to the market.

Usually when someone starts a business, it’s to fulfill a need in the market. The wedding market is always growing and if you look around, you will see dozens of florists, photographers, caterers, and yes, even wedding planners. Many believe that the market is over-saturated. So, how does one stand out? Is it by offering more services? Offering the most inexpensive or expensive services?

So, why flowers? To me, flowers (and decor) go hand in hand with what I am striving to become. I am more than just an event planner, I am an event designer. I want to be able to work hand in hand with clients in designing their event, so I am expanding my business to include floral design and eventually decor rentals. It just seemed right. A logical next step for me. A step that I am so excited to take, so thrilled to take, and yet very cautious to take. It will be a slow and steady growth, as anything worth growing takes time. I will learn new things every day and with that, there will be some hard lessons that I will have to learn.

But really, why flowers? I think it stems from growing up in the household that I did. Both my parents garden as a hobby. No, not just your simple flower garden, but rather gardens upon gardens. Their gardens have had more weddings, proposals, and wedding pictures taken in them than I can count. I grew up taking walks around the gardens with my parents, naming flowers, planting flowers, weeding the flower beds, knowing which flowers needed sunlight and which ones needed the most water. I knew which flowers in their garden were perennials and which were annuals. I spent more time playing in the dirt than probably most children. From April to October my house was always filled with fresh cut flowers.

Granted, all the exposure I have had to flowers will only get me so far. Luckily, my desk if covered in books on floral design, caring for cut flowers, and tips and tricks on wedding flowers. And my parents have been kind enough to let me hack away at their gardens (for hands on practice of wrapping, taping and tying). It looks like a bunny has gone through and feasted.